US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo

“July 11 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” he said in his statement.

“Over the last quarter century, our two countries have built a partnership and friendship founded on shared interests, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties. Our everyday interactions are highlighted by increasing trade and investment ties, strategic cooperation, and collaboration on humanitarian and legacy of war issues, including the solemn duty of accounting for our wartime missing.”

In recent years, he said, the two countries have strengthened and expanded the Comprehensive Partnership, based on a shared vision of a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region, as well as respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems.

The US commends Vietnam for its outstanding Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, especially in coordinating ASEAN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and issues related to economic recovery, he added.

Pompeo stressed the ties between the American and Vietnamese peoples grow deeper every year. America’s vibrant and engaged Vietnamese-American community makes our country strong and prosperous.

The US values the cross-cultural role played by the nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in the United States and more than 1,200 Americans studying in Vietnam annually, he said, adding “we look forward to Fulbright University Vietnam graduating its first class of undergraduates in 2023.”

“We also look forward to the imminent conclusion of an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time ever, fostering stronger ties between our peoples,” he said.

The US is committed to making the next 25 years of bilateral ties a model of international cooperation and partnership, the Secretary affirmed.

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“If I there was a magic lamp, I would wish that Vietnam has more capacity to carry out educational development activities,” said the US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink during an online exchange with VietNamNet readers on July 8.

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Vietnam-US relations now and 25 years ago are “like night and day” and will continue to flourish in the future, according to the first Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Le Van Bang.